ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · tube · cell · wound · can · jam · fork · bear

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. tube — a container
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wound — an injury
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cell — in a prison

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com